Campaigners challenge London Mayor over need more airport capacity in the South East

Date added: November 21, 2011

While the Mayor of London is expected to release a report arguing for new runways, campaigners question the need for more airport capacity. Boris is expected to argue that new airport capacity in the South East will help revive the economy. AirportWatch has produced figures which show that London has a greater number of flights to the world’s main business destinations than any of its European rivals, Paris, Frankfurt and Amsterdam.

On the day before the Mayor of London is expected to release a report arguing for new runways, campaigners question the need for more airport capacity in South East England.

Tomorrow (Monday 21st November) Boris Johnson is expected to argue that new airport capacity in the South East will help revive the economy. AirportWatch, the umbrella organisation representing aviation campaigning groups, has produced figures which show that London has a greater number of flights to the world’s main business destinations than any of its European rivals.

London has the highest number of flights to the key markets in Asia, the Middle East, North America and Australasia. In total, London’s airports have over 1000 departure flights each week to the key business destinations compared with Paris’s 499, Frankfurt’s 443, and Amsterdam’s 282.

AirportWatch Chairman John Stewart said, “The case for more expansion is simply not proven. Indeed, no hard evidence has been produced to show that the majority of businesses are clamouring for new runways in the South East. Our connectivity to the world’s key business destinations remains unrivalled”.

(1). The full figures

International Air Connectivity for Business

How well connected are UK airports to the world’s main business destinations for Business?

1. London has better connections to the key business centres of the world than any other European city. • All London’s airports had 1,113 departure flights in the week studied to the key business destinations compared with Paris’s 499, Frankfurt’s 443, and Amsterdam’s 282. 2. Heathrow has many more flights to the world’s key business centres than any of Europe’s airports, despite fewer transfer passengers than the other four major hub airports. • Heathrow had 990 weekly departures to key business destinations, more than the combined total of Charles de Gaulle and Frankfurt 3. There is no evidence that an increase in transfer passengers is critical in maintaining Heathrow’s outstanding connections with the world’s business centres.